A large majority of New Yorkers support the idea of capping property tax increases, according to a new survey by the Siena Research Institute.

Governor Spitzer announced in his Jan. 9 State of the State message that he would form a commission to recommend a cap on school property taxes, among other property tax reforms.   (More background on this issue can be found here.)

Responding to a question that did not identify Spitzer as the source of the idea, 72 percent of the respondents to the Siena survey supported the concept–including 29 percent who indicated they “strongly support” it.  Backing for a tax cap crossed party and geographic lines but was strongest outside New York City (which, because it has no separate school tax, would be excluded from Spitzer’s proposal).   The cap was supported by 80 percent of the survey respondents living in New York City suburbs and 81 percent of respondents from upstate New York.

Detailed cross-tabulations of the Siena survey results can be downloaded here; the tax cap is question 15 on page 3.

Tags:

About the Author

Tim Hoefer

Tim Hoefer is president & CEO of the Empire Center for Public Policy.

Read more by Tim Hoefer

You may also like

Don’t Tell The Grownups: NY Still Hiding State Test Scores

State education officials are refusing to release the results of federally required assessments in grades 3 through 8, deliberately keeping parents and taxpayers in the dark—not only about how New York’s public schools performed, but also about how that performance was measured. Read More

What You Should Know: NY’s changing graduation requirements

Months after lowering the scores to pass state assessment exams, New York education officials are considering eliminating the Regents diploma. Read More

Boarded

Most school board members in New York's largest school districts were elected with teachers' union support and many are themselves teachers' union members. Read More

State Drags Out Test Mess

The New York State Education Department (SED) was proud to announce this week that they have lifted the embargo on last year’s state test scores in reading and math. Does this mean the public gets to see them now?  Read More

Back to School: New York Style

Class is in session across the state, and things are messy (especially in New York City).  Read More

Where are New York’s Test Results?

For the second year in a row, New York parents will receive their back-to-school shopping lists before their students' results on state assessments. and Read More

NYC schools should worry less about ‘mindful breathing’ and more about reading

Mayor Adams should save his oxygen for the real crisis in our schools — our children are not being taught how to read, if they’re even showing up to class at all. Read More

On School Accountability Policies; It’s In with the New, Tension with the Old

The school choice revolution continues. Six states now allow each child’s education funding to be used for the school or educational expenses of his choice. More states are soon to follow. What seemed impossible only five years ago became permissi Read More